


Escapees

by ObtuseOctopus



Series: Living in Hue [14]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gem Egg Hell, Gemlings, Gen, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23871508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObtuseOctopus/pseuds/ObtuseOctopus
Summary: • COMPLETE. •Pea and Emily have managed to run off under Peridot’s supervision for the day. Lapis isn’t too pleased with the disruption for her sculpting class.
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Series: Living in Hue [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615498
Kudos: 21





	Escapees

“NONONO! EMILY! PEA!” But Peridot was too late. The gemlings had already made it inside the building. Peridot paused. This was not good. She waited.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Four.

Then began the voices from inside the building;

“Awe, why are they so small?”

“Are those Gems?”

“I’ve never seen Gems so tiny before! Look at em! Look at em!”

Peridot gulped. She bolted into the studio, frantic to recover the runaway offspring. “Pea! Emily! Come on- we can’t be here while your mother-!”

Which, speaking of, Lapis came over and stood in front of Peridot, her arms crossed. The technician stopped sharply in her tracks.

“Peridot, why are the gemlings here?” Lapis began. “I told you to watch them for me. I have a class today.”

“I know, I know! I’m so sorry, Lapis, they ran off and I began to follow them- HEY EMILY PUT THAT DOWN!” Peridot shouted, pointing at the gemling that was chewing on some clay on the wooden floor.

“Did you say gemlings? I haven’t heard that word in what, eons?” A quartz giggled. “I forgot they existed.”

“What are gemlings?” An Era Two jade asked. 

Lapis retrieved Emily, picking her up and making her spit out the clay that she had been gnawing on. “They’re… like our version of human babies,” she explained. “They come from eggs though.” She adjusted the gemling until Emily was contently lying against her chest, both arms supporting her.

“Are they yours?” The quartz cooed. “They’re soooo adorable, oh my goodness.”

“Yeah. They’re both… mine,” Lapis nodded, watching Pea as she hid behind her leg. “And one of them-“ she shot a look at Peridot, “-belongs to her. Come get your kid, dork.”

“At least Pea has more sense than to chew upon objects that carry no nutritional value…” Peridot sighed, walking over to get Emily. “You hear that, pumpkin?”

“Pumpkin?”

Peridot’s face went dark. “Um-. It’s a nickname-“

Lapis frowned. “I remember Pumpkin…” she said solemnly.

“We’ve got all the other gourds now though like Leafy and Gourdy!”

“Yeah, but Pumpkin was the best,” Lapis murmured, picking up Pea once Emily had been handed over to Peridot. She sniffled.

“Are you crying?”

“No!” Lapis denied, hugging Pea close. She was. Her hormones were still trying to readjust back to normal, given that the gemlings only recently began to run around on their own and also began to wean off of liquid foods. Peridot felt bad.

“Should we ah, give you two some privacy?” The quartz suggested.

“Nonsense, your sculpting class will resume momentarily after this small mishap,” Peridot disclosed. “Here, I’ll take Pea and Emily…”

“I am _not_ crying,” Lapis groaned, handing over Pea as well.

“I didn’t say anything about-“

Lapis gritted her teeth, hands balled into fists. “I need a moment,” she quickly said before she marched out of the building.

Peridot awkwardly stared, the gemlings in her arms.

“Whoa…” the jade whistled. “That was exciting.”

“Oh you poor things,” the quartz gasped. “Is it always like that?”

“No, not at all, really,” Peridot shook her head. “Lapis is just a bit moody is all. It’s only been about a month since the gemlings hatched, and even before then she’s been a bit everywhere,” she nervously chuckled.

“Can I see them?” The pearl beside the quartz squealed. “They’re so tiny!”

“Sure! They’re not used to other people yet though, so you can’t exactly put any contact on them,” Peridot informed, showing off the brood. It was good for the gemlings to get some social interactions in order to help get them started on getting used to other people outside of their mother and sires anyway. They’d be more comfortable doing so too around at least one of their parents. Peridot made sure that they were happy at the least as she introduced them to Lapis’ class that was overjoyed to meet them. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Hey, are you okay?” Peridot asked as she entered the small home. It was near night now. The classes were over for the day, and evening in Little Homeworld was blossoming. Some Gems had set up small camps or campfires, still wild with fun and laughter as they gathered to roast marshmallows or share stories of the day.

Lapis had both of her daughters with her as she lay on the couch, the two gemlings sound asleep on her chest and snuggled close together like baby chicks under a heat lamp. The ocean Gem perked her head up when she heard Peridot come in, refusing to move any further as she didn’t want to disrupt her babies. “Hm?” She had one arm over her offspring, protectively keeping them in her personal space. She loved them immensely, and Peridot knew that. Knowing so, she would make sure that no harm would come to any of them.

“Earlier today, you kinda… you know,” Peridot elaborated softly.

Lapis turned her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s just a mood swing. It’ll go away like the others.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Peridot sat at the edge of the couch. “How are they doing?”

“Good. Just keep your voice down.”

“Of course.” Peridot’s eyes fell onto the gemlings, watching them with adoration. “You’re fine though too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Positive?”

“Yes, stars, Peridot.”

“Just wanting to make sure,” Peridot tapped her toes together.

Lapis let out a low exhale. 

“I hope you know I’m really sorry about earlier too. I took my eyes off them for one second so that I could make sure their lunch was ready and they took off,” Peridot apologized.

“It’s fine.” Lapis said.

Silence. Peridot looked around Lapis’ place some before she looked at the gemlings again. 

It stayed that way for a few minutes. Just absolute quiet and peace.

“... Next time, can you say something else _besides_ pumpkin?” Lapis finally broke the silence. “It..”

“Upsets you,” Peridot finished. “I should’ve been more considerate.”

“No, you’re okay. It’s just that I’m still super sensitive right now.”

“I get that.”

“You’re… still okay with this, right?”

Peridot gave a dumbfounded look. “What?”

“This parenting thing. You’re still okay with it, right?” Lapis elaborated. “Even if it so far has done nothing but stress us out and-.”

“It doesn’t stress me out at all, it’s just parenthood,” Peridot brushed off. “Plus, Emily and Pea are probably the best thing to happen to me. I’m sure that Bismuth would agree with me. Nobody can say no to me, the great and lovable Peridot.”

“Just wait until your kid gets older,” Lapis lightly joked. “She’ll say no to you.”

“Oh that’s mean,” Peridot pretended to pout.

Lapis softly laughed.

“Lapis!” Peridot whined.

“Just imagine that; Emily grows up and tells you no for the first time and your face will be hilarious,” Lapis snorted.

“This is why Pea is slowly becoming my favorite over my own bloodborne,” Peridot quipped, hopping off the couch. She stopped near Lapis, taking a knee in order to be more at her level along with the gemlings’. “You hear that, clod?” She whispered to the slumbering sisters.

“Don’t call her that, she’s just a baby,” Lapis scolded.

“Not just a baby, she’s _my_ baby. She’ll meet other clods in her life, but nobody can outdo her or me. I’m the biggest clod out there!”

“Shhh.”

“Oh. Right.” 

“You are a clod though.”

“Heeeey.”

Lapis snorted again. 

Peridot leaned in, pressing her forehead against Lapis’ as the former terraformer turned her head towards her. The green Gem allowed Lapis’ forehead to meet her own, even if that meant that her gemstone would make contact with soft, blue skin. The most intimate of touches; one that meant Peridot trusted her and wholeheartedly felt safe around her, at ease with her. Lapis didn’t protest. She allowed it, her eyelids fluttering shut as she relaxed. 

“I promise, next time I’ll keep a better eye on them,” Peridot swore quietly.

“Good idea. Then next time, Emily won’t try to eat any clay. Probably gets it from her sire,” Lapis giggled.

Peridot rolled her eyes. “Goodnight, Lapis.”

“Goodnight, Peridot,” Lapis replied, lightly nuzzling her nose against Peridot and bringing a hand forth to cup the technician’s chin. She didn’t have much of another way to hug the other goodbye, so she had to work with what she had even with two tiny Gems sleeping on top of her. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Peridot grinned.

“If I don’t, I’m calling the police.”

“Did you pick up that line from someone?” Peridot mused, standing up and beginning to leave the little abode.

“Maaaaybe.”

Peridot scoffed. “Goodnight. And goodnight to you two babies,” she looked at the gemlings, finally departing to let Lapis catch some shut eye. 


End file.
